'Raya and the Last Dragon' star Kelly Marie Tran on how food brings people together | EXCLUSIVE
LOS ANGELES -- To "Raya and the Last Dragon" star Kelly Marie Tran, the role food plays in the upcoming Disney film is undeniable.
The film follows Raya, a lone warrior who is tasked with finding the last dragon in Kumandra. Centuries ago, the land's dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity when an evil force threatened Kumandra. That same evil force has returned, and it's up to Raya to save Kumandra.
"Raya is someone who doesn't really trust the world that she lives in, so she, at the beginning of her journey, is making this horrible jerky and just eating that wherever she goes," Tran explained in an exclusive interview. "As she begins to learn to trust people, she begins to share meals again. I think that that is really symbolic."
The connection to food was personal for Tran, whose family is from Vietnam.
"Food is a really important part of my culture. My mom is an amazing cook. She makes the best pho," she continued. "One of my favorite things to introduce my friends to is to bring them home and make spring rolls. It's really fun and really delicious."
When asked about the most adventurous food she's ever eaten, Tran settled on alligator.
"I don't remember it being that bad, which kind of scares me," she joked.
In addition to Tran, the "Raya and the Last Dragon" voice cast includes Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang, Thalia Tran, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong, Patti Harrison and Ross Butler.
Tune in for a special episode of "On The Red Carpet" this weekend for a chance to win prizes inspired by Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon." Click here to check your local listings to see when it airs in your city.
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